1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for guiding a player in performance of a keyboard instrument such as piano, organ or reed-organ and more particularly to such device in which movable indicating plates each provided with a suitable number of indicating elements capable of indicating the pitch and occasionally the duration of musical notes are mounted to the instrument so that the player may play the tune under instructions given by the indicating elements.
The device of the present invention is highly useful to those unable to read a musical score or to those versed in reading a musical score but unable to correctly strike key as indicated on the musical score.
2. Prior Art
It has been practiced in the prior art to incorporate a small size computer such as micro-processor into a keyboard instrument, such micro-processor storing all data concerning a tune in the binary form for automatically carrying out a performance upon its actuation. Such instrument with a built-in counter is naturally inconvenient in that it does not permit a player to play as he desires.
A chord indicating device used with keyboard instruments and adpated for indicating only chord keys to a player during performance of a time is known from a Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 42169/1974. In sum, the device of the said publication comprises a plurality of melody switches driven by the respective melody keys during operation thereof, a matrix circuit in which these switches are connected in columns, and a plurality of indicating lamps to which are connected respective output leads from said matrix circuit and which may be illuminated by output signals supplied on these leads, said indicating lamps corresponding to the respective pitch levels of at least one octave and said matrix circuit being operable upon striking of melody keys and resulting actuation of said melody switches to illuminate the indicating lamps of the chord keys corresponding to the pitch of the melody keys.
The basic concept of this device is that, when a tune contains both a melody part and a chord part, it is often difficult for a player to strike the chord keys with his left hand, even if he can play the melody portion with his right hand while reading a musical score. In view of this, the indicating device of the prior art is designed for indicating the chord key to the player through the medium of indicating lamps each corresponding to a chord key to be depressed simultaneously with a given melody key.
With this prior art device, the player is naturally required to be able to read a musical score for performance at least of the melody portion. Therefore, this device may not be used by one unable to read a score or select out a correct key indicated on the score. Moreover, considerable difficulties may be met in locating the chord key indicated by the lamps, while the player is playing the melody portion with his right hand, especially in cases where two or more keys are to be acted upon simultaneously to give the chord effects.
In order to obviate these inconveniences of the prior art, the present inventor has proposed a device for guiding the player in performance of the keyboard instrument (U.S. Ser. No. 68,375 filed on Aug. 21, 1979, now abandoned).
Briefly, this prior art guiding device is comprised of indicating means associated with each of the keys necessary to be operated in the performance of a tune and actuating means associated with said indicating means and operable for actuating said indicating means sequentially for indicating to the player the keys to be depressed sequentially during the performance of the tune.
In this guide device, the player is unable to learn fingering because he is required only to strike the key in accordance with indication by the indicating elements and thus he may strike the keys even with his index fingers, when so desired. In practicing on the keyboard instrument, such as piano, special importance is attached to fingering according to which five fingers are allotted to, for example, the keys of one octave interval. Thus in case of a right hand, the thumb and index finger are allotted to `do` and `re` sounds, respectively. In the light of this, the prior art guide device has much to be desired for acquiring a full mastery of fingering. In addition, the player may be frequently unable to follow up the indication of the indication elements in a short time. Besides, the device tends to be costly.